Type 2 Diabetes

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Topic Overview

Is this topic for you?

This topic provides general information about type 2 diabetes and how you can help prevent the disease. If you or your child has type 2 diabetes and you are looking for more specific information on how to live with the disease, see:

• Type 2 Diabetes: Recently Diagnosed, if you have been told recently that you have type 2 diabetes.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Living With the Disease, if you have type 2 diabetes.
• Type 2 Diabetes in Children, if your child has type 2 diabetes.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Living With Complications, if you have eye, kidney, heart, nerve, or blood vessel disease caused by your diabetes.

If you are looking for information about type 1 diabetes, see the topic Type 1 Diabetes.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease that affects the way your body uses food for energy. The disease develops when the cells of the body become resistant to insulin or when the pancreas cannot make enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body's cells get needed energy from sugar. When insulin is not able to do its job, too much sugar builds up in your blood. Over time, this extra sugar in your blood can lead to problems with your eyes, heart, blood vessels, nerves, and kidneys.

Controlling your blood sugar is the best way to avoid serious complications from type 2 diabetes, such as heart and blood vessel diseases. Many people who have type 2 diabetes enjoy healthy, active lives when they are able to control their blood sugar. Exercising, eating healthy foods, and taking medicines all help control blood sugar.

More and more adults and children are developing type 2 diabetes. This is largely because of bad eating habits and a lack of physical activity. It is important to know whether you or your children are at risk for type 2 diabetes and to know what you can do to help prevent the disease.

What causes type 2 diabetes?

You can develop type 2 diabetes if:

• Your body does not respond as it should to insulin, making it hard for your cells to get glucose from the blood for energy. This is called insulin resistance.
• Your pancreas does not make enough insulin.

Your weight, how much physical activity you get, and your family history all affect the way your body responds to insulin. If you are overweight, get little or no exercise, or have family members with diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

What are the symptoms?

At first, your blood sugar level may rise so slowly that you may not know that anything is wrong. One-third of all people who have diabetes do not know that they have the disease.¹

If you do have symptoms of type 2 diabetes, they may include:

• Feeling thirsty.
• Having to urinate more than usual.
• Feeling more hungry than usual.
• Losing weight without trying to.
• Feeling tired.
• Feeling cranky.

You may find out that you have type 2 diabetes during a regular medical checkup or during an appointment for another health problem such as high blood pressure, an infection, or a wound that heals slowly. Some people do not find out they have diabetes until they have a complication from the disease, such as vision problems, kidney disease, nerve disease, or heart and blood vessel problems.

How is type 2 diabetes diagnosed?

If your doctor thinks that you have type 2 diabetes, he or she will ask you questions about your medical history, do a physical exam, and order a blood glucose test. A blood glucose test is a blood test that measures the amount of sugar in your blood. The test is usually done first thing in the morning, before you eat or drink anything.

How is it treated?

Treatment for type 2 diabetes includes:

• Eating a healthy, balanced diet.
• Reducing calories, if necessary, in order to lose excess weight.
• Getting regular exercise.
• Checking your blood sugar levels.
• Possibly taking medicines.

You will also visit your doctor regularly to make sure your treatment is working and that you are not having more serious health problems.

Can type 2 diabetes be prevented?

If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes or if you have a condition called prediabetes—when your blood sugar levels are above normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes—you may be able to prevent or delay the disease by exercising regularly and changing the way you eat. Often, people who develop type 2 diabetes are overweight and not physically active. By losing as few as 10 or 20 pounds, you can reduce your chances of developing diabetes.²

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Last updated:	August 03, 2007
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology & Metabolism
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman